Indicator.



H. PETERS.

INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 11, 1914.

Patented Jan.23,1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE H 1914.

H. PETERS.

INDICATOR,

Patented Jan. 23, 1917.

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H. PETERS.

INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 11. 1914.

1,213,406, Patented Jan. 23, 1917- 3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

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PATNT FFIGE.

HUBERT PETERS, OF EDMONTON, ALBERTA, CANADA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FREDERICK MCDONALD BILL, OF EDMONTON, ALBERTA, CANADA.

INDICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 23, 1917.

Application filed June 11, 1914. Serial No. 844,499.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUBERT PETERS, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and resident of Edmonton, in the Province of Alberta, Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indicators, of which the following is the specification.

This invention relates to indicators and particularly refers to that type adapted to be utilized in street or railway cars and the like, and the objects of the invention are to automatically display on a curtain or the like the name of each consecutive street or stopping place as it is about to be reached.

Further objects are to render the machine compact in construction thereby occupying a minimum of space, to simplify and reduce the number of working parts, to render the several parts better adapted to perform the functions required of. them. and other objects which will be shown hereafter, and it consists essentially of the improved construction of indicator particularly described and set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings forming part of the same. i

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a transverse section of a street car showing the improved indicator mounted therein. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the indicator with the front part of the casing removed. Fig. 3 is atransverse cross section of the improved indicator. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the mechanism adapted to reverse the action or movement of the curtain. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 6 is a detail partly sectional of the curtain roller (broken away) and showing the clutch arrangement by means of which the curtain is operated. Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view of part of the wiring.

Like characters of reference refer to like parts in the several drawings.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a street car of any usual construction and B the improved indicator which is mounted therein in any convenient and conspicuous place. This indicator B comprises a casing consisting of a body part 1, a back Qand a cover 3, such casing being adapted to conveniently house the mechanism of the indicator. The body part 1 is preferably made of rectangular formation consisting of top and bottom plates 4: and 5 which are rigidly connected to the end plates 6 and 7 in any suitable and convenient manner. This body part is subdivided by the transversely extending members 8, 9 and 10, the first of which is located near and substantially parallel to the end 6, the remaining two being located near the opposite end 7 and substantially parallel thereto, such members 9 and 10 being provided with orifices 9 and 10 extending therethrough.

11 represents longitudinally extending members which are rigidly connected at their ends to the transverse member 10 and to the end 7 of the body part 1, such longitudinal member being provided with slots 12 therethro'ugh.

13 represents a plurality of transversely extending members which are secured at one end to the longitudinal member lland at the other end to the opposing top or bottom plate 4.- or 5 of the body part, such transversely extending members being provided with orifices 1 1 therethrough. The transverse member 13 adjacent to the mem-' .ber 10 is provided with vertically disposed slots 15 which are located on diametrically opposite sides of the orifice 1 1. Bracket plates 16 and 17 are rigidly mounted on the end 6 and the transverse member 9 respectively, such bracket plates being substantially parallel to the said end and transverse member.

18 represents a horizontally disposed shaft having the disk 19' rigidly mounted on one end thereof, such disk being provided with a plurality of pins 20 extending radially from its outer periphery, the said shaft being further provided with a cylindrical drum 2'1 rigidly mounted thereon. This shaft is rotatably mounted at one end in the bracket 16 and the end 6 and at the other end in the bracket plate 17 and the transverse member 9, the drum 21 being 10- cated between the end 6 and the bracket plate 17 and the disk between the said bracket plate and the transversely extending member 9. This drum is provided near that end adjacent to the bracket plate 17 with a plurality of pins or teeth 22 extending radially from its outer periphery, the objects of which will be made clear hereafter.

23 represents horizontally disposed spindles having flanges 24 and 25 of non-conducting material mounted on opposite ends thereof, and each spindle is further provided with a roller 26 rigidly mounted thereon, such roller being located between the said flanges. That end of the spindles 23 carrying the flange 24 is designed to be rotatably mounted in the transverse member 8, the opposite end being rotatably mounted in the transverse members 9 and 10. To prevent longitudinal motion of the spindles, collars 27 and 28 are suitably mounted thereon and rigidly secured thereto by pins or the like, such collars being located on opposite sides of the transverse member 9. The flange 25 is provided on its outer periphery with a wire 29 of conducting material extending therearound, such wire being connected by the wire 30 to a conducting strip 31 mounted on that end of the spindle adjacent to the flange 24. The spindles 23 are further provided on that end adjacent to the flange 25 with a clutch 32 preferably formed integral therewith, the object of which will be made clear hereafter.

33 represents a sleeve which is rotatably mounted in the orifices 14 in the transverse member 13, such sleeve being provided with a concentric orifice 34 through the longitudinal axis thereof, and being provided with a collar 35 located between two consecutive transverse members 13, such collar being designed to check any longitudinal movement of the said sleeve. This sleeve 33 is provided with a plurality of outwardly radially extending arms 36 located on its outer pe riphery and is further provided with a slot 37 extending diametrically therethrough.

38 represents a cylindrical rod designed to engage with the orifice 34, such rod being provided on one end with a clutch 39 designed to engage with the clutch 32 and is further provided with a pin 40 extending therethrough, such pin being adapted to engage with the slot 37 in the sleeve 33. That end of the sleeve 33 remote from the rod 38 is provided with a cylindrical plug 41 designed to fit the orifice 34 and be secured therein by means of the pin 42, such plug being provided on its outer end with an enlarged head 43, the outer end of which is proylided with a plurality of serrations or teet 44 represents a spiral spring housed in the sleeve 33 and located between the inner ends or" the rod 38 and the plug 41.

45 represents a spindle which is rotatably mounted in the end 7 and one of the transverse members 13 such spindle being provided on its inner end with an enlarged head 46 provided with a plurality of teeth or serrations in its outer end adapted to engage with the serrations or teeth on the head 43 of the plug 41, the opposite end of the said spindle being provided with a squared end adapted to engage with a box spanner.

47 represents a coil spring located between the end 7 and the outer transverse member 13, such spring being mounted on the spindle 45 and having its inner end rigidly secured thereto, the outer end of the said spring being rigidly secured by the pin 48 to the end 7 and the said transverse member.

49 represents solenoids mounted on the end 7, such solenoids when energized attracting the armature 50 thereby withdrawing the rod 51 which is slidably mounted in the orifices 10 and 9 in the transverse members 10 and 9 from engagement with the pins 20 on the disk 19. The rod 51 -is connected to the rod 52, which is slidably mounted in the orifices 10 and 9" in the transverse members 10 and 9, by means of the link 53, such link being pivotally mounted intermediate of its ends to the bracket mounted on the transverse member 10. It will thus be clear that when the rod 51 is withdrawn from contact with the pins 20 that the rod 52 is pushed toward the disk 19 and will engage with one of the pins 20 as the drum 21 is being rotated, thereby limiting the motion of the same. When the solenoids 49 are de'e'nergized the spring 54 which is connected at one end to the rod 52 and at the other end to the end plate 7 is designed to return the armature 50 to a normal position in which the rod 51 engages with the pins 20. A plurality of vertically disposed solenoids are mounted on the transverse member 10, such solenoids being divided into an upper and a lower set 55 and 56 which when energized are designed to attract the armature 57 thereby actuating the rod 58 rigidly attached there to which transfers its motion through the link 59, to one end of which it is pivotally attached to the link to one end of which the link 59 is pivotally attached. The opposite end of the link 60 is bifurcated, such bifurcated parts being, designed to be located on diametrically opposite sides of the sleeve 33 and being provided with tapered projections 61 adapted to engage with the slots 15 in the transverse member 13. This link 60 is also provided with an arm 6.2 extending at substantially right angles thereto, such arm being provided with a roller 63 rotatably mounted on the outer end thereof, such roller being designed to engage with the arms 36 mounted on the sleeve 33.

64 and 65 represent leaf springs which are mounted on the top and bottom plates of the body part 1 of the casing, the springs 64 being designed to make engagement with the wire 29 carried by the flange 25, the

springs 65 being adapted to make engage,

ment with the conducting strip 31 mounted on the end of the spindle 23. A curtain 67 on which the names of the streets or stopping places are printed is provided. This curtain passes over part of the outer periphery of the drum 21, over the guide rod 68 and around the rollers 26 to which the ends of the curtain are attached. -To facilitate the moving of the curtain one end thereof is provided with a plurality of orifices 68 designed to engage with the pins or teeth 22 provided on the drum 21. To prevent the curtain becoming disengaged from the pins 22 a guard 69 is provided, such guard being mounted on the longitudinally extending rods 70 and 71. This guard is provided with a slot with which the teeth 22 are designed to slidably fit, the lower rod 71 also engaging with the curtain 67 and tending to give the same a larger bearing contact with the drum 21.

The operation of the device is as follows: The car A approaches a street when the contact member 72 mounted on the trolley pole engages with the contact plate 73 whereupon an electric circuit is closed and the solenoids 49 energized. The armature 50 is attracted to the solenoids and the rod 51 withdrawn from engagement with the pins 20 on the disk 19 and at the same time the rod 52 is pushed forward toward the pins 20 on the said disk 19. The number of pins 20 shown on the drawings is four, so that the drum 21 can only be rotated a quarter of a revolution during each energizing of the solenoids. When the solenoids are deenergized the rod 51 again makes contact with the pin 20 due to the action of the spiral spring withdrawing the rod 52 from contact with the pins 20. The roller will move one step on the actuation of the magnet, and another step on the de'c'nergization thereof. In this way the curtain is moved through a predetermined distance when passing each stopping place and the name inscribed on the curtain shown through the window 7 3 in the cover of the casing. When the car reaches the end of its journey the curtain has likewise reached the end on one roller 26 and is rolled on the other roller 26 so that it is necessary to reverse the action of the curtain during the return trip of the car and this is accomplished automatically.

WVhen the curtain reaches one end a rubber strip 74 which is attached to the edge of the curtain uncovers the conducting strip 31 whereupon the leaf spring 65 closes a circuit comprising one set of solenoids 55, the wire 74, the leaf spring 64, wire 29, wire 30, contact strip 31, leaf spring 65, wire 75, battery D and wire 76 as shown on Fig. 7, or the solenoids 56, the wires 74*, the leaf spring 64, wire 29, wire 30, contact strip 31, leaf spring 65, wire 75*, battery D and wire 7 6 thereby energizing the said set of solenoids and attracting the armature 57. The armature transmits its motion through the rod 58, the link 59 to the link 60 whereupon the tapered projections 61 engage with the slots 15 in the upper transverse members 13 and simultaneously disengages the projections 61 on the lower link 60 with the slots 15 in the lower transverse member or Vice-Versa depending on which 'set of solenoids or 56 are energized. It will be clear that the projections 61 engage with the slots 15 due to the action of the spiral spring 44 pressing the rod 38 outwardly which in turn transmits its motion to the link by means of the pin 40 bearing on the collar 77. In this way the clutch 39 engages with the clutch 32 thereby permitting the roller 26 being operated by the spring 47. Since when one roller is being operated by a spring 47 the other roller is disconnected from its spring 47, it is necessary to prevent the same from uncoiling and this is brought about by means of the arm 62 on which the roller 63 is mounted,

this roller being designed to engage with the arms 36 of the sleeve 33 thereby holding the idle spring 47 in a fixed position. It will be clear that the springs 47 can be wound up as it is found convenient or desirable to do so.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and? many apparentliy widely different embodiments of my invention, within the scope of the claim, constructed without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, itis intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification and drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim as my invention is:

The combination with a street car, of an indicator comprising a casing, a shaft rotatably mounted in said casing, a drum rigidly mounted on said shaft, a disk rigidly mounted on said shaft, pins mounted on the outer periphery of said diskand extending radially therefrom, rods slidably mounted in said casing, located on diametrically opposite sides of the said disk and designed to alternately engage with the said pins, a bracket mounted on the casing, a link pivotally connected at its ends to said rods, and

attached thereto, and means for operating said rollers, as and for the purpose specified. 10

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two Witnesses.

HUBERT PETERS.

pivotally connected intermediate of its length to said bracket, an armature mounted on one of said rods, solenoids designed to intermittently engage with said armature, a spring mounted on the the other rod adapted to return the rods to a normal position, rollers rotatably mounted in said casing, a screen mounted on said rollers and having its ends Witnesses:

ERNEST A. THOMPSON, A. GRonNINK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents, Washington, 1). C. 

